Hospital-screen.



E. T.GRAY.

' HOSPITAL SCREEN. APPLICATION FILED AUG.6, 191a.

Patented Apr. 15,1919.

EDWIN T. GRAY, or new YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 ASKOWETZBROTHERS, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

HOSPITAL-SCREEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

Application filed August 6, 1918. Serial No. 248,590.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in 'Hospital-Screens, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to hospital screens, and has for its object toprovide a folding screen of this kind fwith improved light proof pivotalconnections between the leaves. It is also the aim ofthe invention toprovide means associated with the hinges between the leaves and adaptedto retain said leaves in any desired position relative to each other.Simplicity of construction, ease of adjustment and reduced cost of manufa'cture are other sought after objects.

The invention will be first hereinafter de scribed in connection withthe accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this specification,and then more specifically defined in the claims at the end of thedescription.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters areused to designate corresponding parts throughout the several viewsFigure 1 is a perspective view of a screen embodying this invention.

Fig. 21s a vertical section through the hinged edges of two of theleaves of the screen. 7

gig. 3 is a plan view of said hinged edges, an

Fig. 4 is a detailed end view of one of the hinge members. I

The screen may be composed of any desired number of leaves 1 which maybe hinged together in series in the manner herein shown and described.To prevent light from passing through the joints between the leaves, thehinge member 2 extends substantially the full height of the said leaves.Said hinge member 2 comprises two cylindrical edge portions 3 and asolid integral web portion 4 between said cylindrical portions. Thecylindrical portions are fitted respectively in correspondingly shapedgrooves 5 in the edges of the screen leaves.

To retain the hinge member with its cylindrical edge portions snuglywithin the grooves 5 in the edges of the screen leaves and at the sametime permit said leaves to have a pivotal movement on said cylindricaledge portions of said hinge member, the ends of said cylindricalportions are bored axially and straps are secured to the leaves so as toproject beyond the grooves in their edges, said straps being providedwith pivot lugs to engage said axialbores in the ends of the cylindricaledge portions of the hinge member. The bores 6 in the lower ends of saidcylindrical edge portions are fitted with bushings 7 in the form ofthimbles which are secured in place by screws 8 passed through the innerends of the thimbles or bushings and driven into the inner ends of thebores. These bushings 7 at the lower end of the hinge member are smoothbored to receive smooth pivot lugs or studs 9 on the straps 10 which aresecured to the lower ends of the leaves by screws 11 in such positlonsthat the centers of the arcs of the grooves 5 are coincident with theaxes of the respective studs 9.

The upper ends of the cylindrical edge portions of the hinge members aresimilarly bored at 12, and internally screw threaded bushings orthimbles 13 are secured therein by screws 14 passed through the innerends of said bushings or thimbles into the inner ends of the bores. Thestraps 15, which are secured to the upper ends of the leaves by screws16, instead of having integral pivot studs, are provided with holes 17in line with the thimbles or bushings, and thumb screws 18 are passedthrough said holes to engage the internal threads of the bushings 13.When said thumb screws are slightly loosened, the leaves of the screenmay be swung about the hinge members at will for folding or extendingthe screen to any desired extent. The leaves may, however, be retainedin a given position by simply ti htening up the thumb screws so as toclamp the cylindrical edge portions of the hinge members between thestraps 15 and 10 at the top and bottom of the screen.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent of the United States is 1. In. a hospitalscreen, the combination with leaves having grooves along their meetingedges, of hinge members having cylindrical edge portions to fit saidgrooves, the ends of said hinge members having bores arranged axially oftheir cylindrical edge bers being smooth bored and the bushings at theupper end of the hinge members being internally screw threaded, strapssecured to the bottom ends of the leaves and having integral pivot studsengaging the smooth bored bushings, straps secured to the upper ends ofthe leaves and having holes registering with the screw threadedbushings, and thumb screws passed through said holes and engaging saidscrew threaded bushings.

2. In a hospital screen, the combination with leaves having groovesalong their edges, of hinge members having cylindri al. edge portions tofit said grooves, the ends of said cylindrical edge portions: havingaxial bores, straps secured to the upper and lower ends of theleaves,means on said straps at the lower end of the leaves for pivotallyengaging the bores in the lower ends of the hinge members, and meanscarried by the straps at the upper ends of the leaves to engage thebores at the upper ends of the hinge members and clamp said hingemembers for retaining the leaves in fixed relative position.

3. In a hospital screen, the combination with leaves having gro ovesalong their edges, of hinge members having cylindrical edge portions tofit said grooves, the ends of said cylindrical edge portions havingaxial bores, thimble-shaped bushings secured in said bores by screwspassed through their inner ends into the inner ends of the bores, andstraps secured to the ends of the leaves and carrying pivotal means toengage said bushings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWIN T. GRAY.

Copies of this patent ma be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

